Self-retaining clip connector



Nov. 16, 1965 B. R. WANLASS SELF-RETAINING CLIP CONNECTOR Filed July 9, 1963 INVENTOR. BERT R. WANLASS BY W HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,218,605 SELF-RETAINING CLIP CONNECTOR Bert R. Wanlass, Warren, Mich, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed July 9, 1963, Ser. No. 293,620 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-217) This invention relates to electrical connectors and in particular to a self-retaining clip connector that is resiliently disposed around a terminal lead.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a conductive terminal connector that is biasedly held in conductive relationship to a terminal.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a conductive link between a fiat lead and a cylindrical terminal.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a conductive link between a conductive lead and a substantially cylindrical terminal in an application where little or no clearance exists near the end of the terminal.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector for a terminal which engages the terminal at substantially right angles and is firmly held in its operative position by a means integral to itself.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of an electrical device showing the invention in its operative environment;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a clip connector made in accordance with this invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a contact plate formed of insulating material carries a series of electrical terminals 12. The terminals 12 extend into a compartment 14 enclosed on all sides by a wall 16. The terminal 12 is electrically connected to a conductor strip 18 through a self-retaining clip connector generally designated by the numeral 20.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, the clip connector 20 is made of any well-known conductive metal having resilient qualities, such as steel, and is designed to maintain a conductive relationship with a terminal 12 by the cooperation of the resilient portions 22. The lower end of the terminal 12 can abut a base portion 24 of the clip connector 20. The base portion 24 is a resilient member and has a struck-out tab 26 designed to drop into and be retained by an edge of the aperture 28 in the wall 16, as best seen in FIGURE 1. The clip connector 20 has a resilient contoured portion 30 arranged to bear against the inner wall of the compartment 14.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, the distance between the uppermost extremity of a contoured portion 30 and a surface 32 of the base portion 24 is dictated by the designed clearance afforded by the compartment 14. An access port 34 is disposed at one end of the compartment 14 to accommodate the entry of a series of conductor strips 18 with the appended clip connectors 20.

In operation, a conductor strip 18 is attached to a portion 36 of a self-retaining clip connector in any wellknown manner. The clip connector is fed into the aperture 34 and directed toward a terminal. As the resilient portions 22 make contact with a terminal, slightly greater pressure will cause the resilient portions to separate slightly and biasedly engage the terminal along its longitudinal axis by the cooperation of a plurality of curved portions 38. As this occurs, the struck-out tab 26, having "ice been depressed along a portion of the wall 16 during the entry of the clip connector, drops into and engages the aperture 28 disposed in a wall opposite the end of the terminal, thus stabilizing the connector against axial movement. In this manner, the terminal is continually engaged by the clip connector in a firm manner due to the engagement of the portion 30 of the clip connector with the top wall of the compartment and the engagement of base portion 24 with the bottom wall of the compartment, the engagement of the struck-out tab with an aperture in one of the walls, and the engagement of the resilient portions 22 of the clip connector with the terminal 12. It is understood that the terminal 12 can extend into the compartment a distance equal to the space between the upper surface or opposite surface from surface 32 of the base portion 24 and the uppermost extremity of the clip connector contoured portion 30. If the terminal is at maximum length, a very rigid connection is established in that the thickness of the base portion 24 effectively holds the base 24 against the end of the terminal 12.

If it becomes necessary to withdraw the clip connector from the compartment, an object smaller than the aperture in the wall of the compartment is pushed against the struck-out tab 26 while the conductor strip is pulled. This action will disengage the retaining means and allow the intentional withdrawal of the conductor strip and clip connector.

The utility of this invention is immediately apparent in an environment Where clearance is not had from the end of the terminals. Also, the clip connector has particular utility in an environment where shock and vibration are prevalent and a good electrical connection must be maintained.

Another worthwhile feature of this invention is its adaptabality for use on an irregularly shaped terminal where it is imperative that the connector does not move relative to the terminal after being engaged therewith.

While the embodiment of the present invention, as

herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A combination of a compartment having a height slightly greater than a terminal disposed therein, and an electrical connector for completing a conductive path from an external circuit to said terminal, said connector comprising a plurality of contoured resilient means disposed in opposition to each other, a resilient conductive plate having a struck-out portion therein conductively associated with a member adapted to be engaged by a lead strip, said resilient members and said conductive plate co-acting to engage said terminal, said connector having a resilient portion adapted to slidably engage one side of said compartment in biased opposition to said conductive plate engaging an opposite wall, said struck-out portion adapted to cooperate with an aperture in said opposite wall of said compartment to prevent the unintentional withdrawal of said connector from said compartment.

2. In a switch housing having an elongated compartment with an opening for entry of a conductive lead, and a terminal extending into the elongated compartment from a side wall thereof, the compartment having an aperture disposed at a point opposite an end of the terminal, an electrical connector comprising: a conductive unitary integral spring metal member adapted to be slidable into the compartment from the opening for the conductive lead into engagement with the terminal and conductively engaging the conductive lead, said spring metal member having a rear support element and three resilient legs extending therefrom into gripping engagement with the terminal, at least one of said resilient legs having a struck out tab arranged to engage the aperture Patented Nov. 16, 19.65.

3,. in the compartment opposite the terminal end to prevent reverse sliding of the spring metal member after said three resilient legs are in gripping engagement with the terminal, said connector thereby establishing a path for current flow from the terminal to the conductive lead.

3. An electrical connector for use in an elongated compartment into which a terminal projects from a first side Wall thereof, a second compartment wall opposite from the side wall from which the terminal projects having an aperture adjacent said terminal, said electrical connector comprising: an integral spring metal conductive member adapted to slide into the compartment and into a position engaging the terminal, said connector engaging a conductive lead on one end thereof and having a support element with three resilient fingers extending therefrom, two of said resilient fingers working in opposition to one another and arranged to laterally grip the terminal, and the other of said resilient fingers arranged to contact an end of the terminal and locate the electrical connector against the second side wall and having a struck out portion therein adapted to drop into and engage the aperture centered on the axis of the terminal when the first two resilient fingers laterally grip the terminal thereby preventing any further relative movement between the compartment and said spring metal conductive member.

4. The combination of, a compartment and an electrical connector, said compartment formed in a housing for electrical apparatus into which compartment an electrical terminal projects, said compartment forming an elongated chamber and having an aperture at a point on the housing adjacent said terminal, said electrical connector comprising: a unitary and integral spring metal.

member having a support element from which an upturned flange projects and at least three resilient members, two of said resilient members being biased in opposition to one another and being shaped to engage said terminal, said two resilient members being adapted to grip the outer portion of the terminal when said spring metal member is slid into said compartment, andathird of the resilient members including a portion struck therefrom being adapted to enter said aperture in said compartment and inclined oppositely from the direction of insertion of the connector into said compartment thereby preventing said connector from being withdrawn from said compartment when said two resilient members move into gripping relationship with the terminal, said upturned flange of said support element and said third of the resilient members being spaced apart at a distance substantially equal to the width of said compartment thereby engaging walls thereof to stabilize said connector when said first two resilient members are in gripping relationship with the terminal.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,559,683 11/1925 Douglas 200-166 1,706,412 3/ 1929 Roberts 339-275 1,875,179 8/1932 Prouty. 2,175,164 10/1939 Goguen 339-278 2,291,674 8/ 1942 Alden 339-258 2,304,808 12/1942 Draving 339-217 X 2,386,056 10/1945 Newell 339-191 2,454,760 11/ 1948 Anderson 339-258 2,850,715 9/1958 Gurney 339-217 X 2,886,681 5/1959 Bourns. 2,953,769 9/1960 Wootter et al. 339-191 2,992,401 7/1961 Lewis 339-22 3,004,237 10/1961 Cole et a1. 339-17 3,025,491 3/ 1962 Hopkins 339-176 3,047,832 7/1962 Deakin 339-217 3,075,167 1/1963 Kinkaid 339-217 X 3,101,985 8/1963 Skony 339-192 3,127,228 3/1964 Greco et a1. 339-217 FOREIGN PATENTS 50,185 10/1939 France.

1,211,628 10/ 1959 France.

ALBERT H. KAMPE, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH D. SEERS, Examiner. 

1. A COMBINATION OF A COMPARTMENT HAVING A HEIGHT SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN A TERMINAL DISPOSED THEREIN, AND AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR COMPLETING A CONDUCTIVE PATH FROM AN EXTERNAL CIRCUIT TO SAID TERMINAL, SAID CONNECTOR COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CONTOURED RESILIENT MEANS DISPOSED IN OPPOSITION TO EACH OTHER, A RESILIENT CONDUCTIVE PLATE HAVING A STRUCK-OUT PORTION THEREIN CONDUCTIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH A MEMBER ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY A LEAD STRIP, SAID RESILIENT MEMBERS AND SAID CONDUCTIVE PLATE CO-ACTING TO ENGAGE SAID TERMINAL, SAID CONNECTOR HAVING A RESILIENT PORTION ADAPTED TOI SLIDABLY ENGAGE ONE SIDE OF SAID COMPARTMENT IN BAISED OPPOSITION TO SAID CONDUCTIVE PLATE ENGAGING AN OPPOSITE WALL, SAID STRUCK-OUT PORTION ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH AN APERTURE IN SAID OPPOSITE WALL OF SAID COMPARTMENT TO PREVENT THE UNITENTIONAL WITHDRAWL OF SAID CONNECTOR FROM SAID COMPARTMENT. 